Inflatable ball

Abstract

The invention disclosed and claimed here is a padded inflatable game ball. The ball is a seamed ball consisting of a spherical rubber bladder, a layer of winding surrounding the bladder, a cellular sponge layer surrounding the winding, and seams and external skin panel sections surrounding the cellular sponge layer. The sponge layer provides padding under the skin panel sections. The seams are made of narrow strips of high density rubber which cover a relatively small section of the overall surface area of the sponge layer. This allows outgassing of the sponge layer as it is foamed during the ball manufacturing process.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A padded inflatable ball, comprising: an inner carcass portion defining the shape of the ball, a cellular sponge material surrounding at least a majority of the inner carcass portion, a plurality of raised seams connected to the inner carcass portion and defined by strips of a seam material, wherein the inner carcass portion, the cellular sponge material and raised seams together define a ball carcass, and a plurality of skin panels attached to the ball carcass between the seams, and wherein   each strip of seam material includes a raised portion positioned between spaced, outer edges of skin panels on opposite sides of the raised portion, and flange portions which extend away from opposite sides of the raised portion, the lateral traverse of each flange portion terminates in an outwardly facing edge surface that mates with the cellular sponge material, and an upper side of each flange portion is substantially flush with an upper side of the cellular sponge material and together the flange portion and cellular sponge material define an outer ball carcass surface region which underlies the skin panels.   
     
     
       2. The ball of claim 1, wherein the inner carcass portion comprises an inflatable bladder and a layer of winding surrounding the inflatable bladder. 
     
     
       3. The ball of claim 2, wherein the cellular sponge material also underlies the strips of seam material, and the seam material strips are bonded directly to the cellular sponge material.